Blind Date
by PrairieLily
Summary: Abby decides to do her lonely friends a favour.  Canon pairing of Jimmy and Michelle.  Rated T for implied naughtiness.  This story is COMPLETE.
1. Abby Sciuto, Matchmaker

**Blind Date**

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters. No infringement intended.

**Pairings:** Canon pairing of Jimmy and Michelle

**Rating:** T for implied naughtiness

**Summary:** Abby decides to do her lonely friends a favour…

**Author's Note:** Special thanks go to Claire for the beta work and the grammatical tweaking!!

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Abby Sciuto, Matchmaker**

Abby Sciuto sighed.

Things just hadn't been the same between her and the Jimster lately. She stared at her computer, waiting for it to produce results from an AFIS search. She was all caught up, their latest case hadn't given her much evidence to work with, but she knew she could produce her usual miracle with it.

But in the meantime, she had time to think. She didn't know what it was about Jimmy that was different. He used to look at her with adoration and what she was sure was unrequited puppy love shining in his green eyes. Lately though, it was more… well… platonic.

Blech. Abby hated that word. "Platonic." She thought it sounded like a disease from the dark ages or something.

Could it be that Jimmy had lost interest in her? Had she become that boring and dull lately? Had she rejected him once too often?

Well, it wasn't like she was ever really interested in anything but friendship with Jimmy Palmer; but, she supposed, it really wouldn't have killed her to throw him a few crumbs now and then.

Oh, who had time for useless flirting, anyway? The indulgence would have been just so much folly - it was true, she was, as she always was, overworked. Everyone wanted a piece of Abs, and by the time they were done, it seemed, there wasn't enough Abs left for Abs.

Suddenly, Abby had an idea. A brilliant idea. An idea straight from the dating gods, it seemed.

She would set Jimmy up on a date. She hated to see him so lonely. But who could she set him up with?

Of course, she realized. Wallflowers of a feather flocked together. She could set him up on a blind date with Michelle Lee!

"Sciuto, you're bloody brilliant," she murmured to herself. Her green eyes lit up as she began to form a plan in her mind…


	2. Epilogue to a Kiss

**Chapter 2 – Epilogue to a Kiss**

Jimmy Palmer and Michelle Lee grinned at eachother, breathless. "That was incredible," Michelle gasped softly. Jimmy said nothing for a moment as he fumbled for his glasses.

"Glad I could oblige, milady," he smiled mischievously, his fingers finally finding what he was looking for. He slipped the glasses back on his face as Michelle gazed at him.

"You know Jim, maybe next time we should try it somewhere other than the Navy Yard. One of these days we're gonna get busted." Michelle playfully traced a finger across his chest.

"Maybe. Right now I don't care though. I mean, what can they do to us?" Jimmy said softly, as his lips caressed Michelle's temple, his words nearly getting lost in her hair.

"Oh nothing. Besides FIRE US of course." Michelle giggled as his breath tickled her cheek, sending an unexpected shivery thrill down her spine.

"Well, I'm afraid they're not going to have the chance this time honey," Jimmy said, as he glanced at the watch on his wrist – one of the only things he still wore at this point. "Time to get back to work. Dr. Mallard will be back from his errand in precisely seven minutes."

Michelle groaned softly in disappointment as she forced herself to get up. She handed Jimmy his clothes as the two lovers prepared themselves to return to work.


	3. Prelude to a Date

**Chapter 3 – Prelude to a Date**

Jimmy looked up in surprise as he saw Abby walk in to the break room. Michelle had barely just left – _that was a little too close_, the tall young man thought to himself.

"Hey Jimmy," Abby said, with a little too much enthusiasm in her voice. "What's up?"

Jimmy choked back a nervous laugh. Definitely inappropriate considering what he'd been doing just 15 minutes before Abby's arrival.

"Oh, nothing Abby. Nothing at all. Why do you… um…why do you ask?" He swallowed nervously, praying that his scrubs top wasn't inside out. You just didn't get much past Abby Sciuto. She would zero in on any little hint of mischief like a hawk on a hapless field mouse.

"Oh, no reason. Just being friendly," she smiled. There was a short pause as she seemed to gather some courage.

"Say Jimmy, what are you doing next Friday night?" No time like the present, she thought. What was the worst he could do, say no to her cockamamie plan?

Jimmy blinked. He drew in a nervous breath, letting it out as calmly as he could possibly manage.

"Oh, nothing much really. Probably was just going to study… I think… yeah. Just homework." He didn't dare let her know he had a date. That would result in questions that he didn't want to answer. Abby wasn't just like a hawk with a mouse – she was like a dog with a bone.

"Oh, good!" Abby fairly bounced with happiness. "I've got just the plan for you then!" Jimmy raised a cautious eyebrow, the arch matching the rounded curve of his glasses perfectly.

"I've got this friend, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to… you know, go out on a date with her? She's a sweetheart but she's really shy and quiet, I think you'd get along great with her. I'll even pay for the evening for you. What have you got to lose, Jimster?"

Jimmy tried to remember to breathe as his mind raced with the scenerios.

He could say no and Abby would just persist, thinking she was doing her "lonely" friend a favour. That would result in him having to either give in and betray Michelle – well, it's not like he was going to sleep with this friend of Abby's – what could dinner and a movie hurt? Or, it could result in him having to fess up to already having a girlfriend, which would in turn result in Abby questioning him until he cried Uncle and fessed up to his relationship with their Very Special Agent Lee.

"Sure, why not?" he finally said weakly.

Yes, he was young. Too young to die. But he'd lived a reasonably full life in his 29 years on this earth. He knew, without question, that Michelle would kill him if she found out. So, he would just have to find a way to tell her gently, because to not tell her would be worse. He did, after all, like to actually sleep at night, on occasion.

* * *

Michelle Lee greeted Jimmy cordially and formally as they met, Michelle entering the break room as Jimmy was leaving. She'd lost an earring, though God knew she wasn't going to tell him that with Abby in the room. The two nodded politely, acknowledging eachother as they crossed paths.

When Abby judged Jimmy to be well out of earshot, she turned to Michelle, determined to execute part two of her master plan.

"Hey Lee, you didn't happen to have any plans on Friday night, did you?"

Michelle paused. _No_, she thought, _just wild, reckless shagging with my incredibly hot, incredibly skilled boyfriend._

"No, not really," she said. Michelle sighed. To tell Abby she had plans would only mean questions that she knew their lab technician would not let rest until she had answers to. "Why do you ask?"

Abby giggled to herself, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly. "How would you like to go out for dinner and a movie with an incredibly sweet friend of mine? He's quiet, and reserved, but very nice. He's very much a gentleman. And don't worry, just in case it doesn't work out, I'm paying for the whole shebang."

_Oh_, Michelle thought to herself, _how can I possibly explain to Abby that quiet, reserved gentlemen are not my type?_ _Abby would never believe that in a million years._

"Sure, what the hell," Michelle shrugged and sighed. "Why not?" She'd just have to find a way to break it to Jimmy later on. She couldn't keep this from him, they needed honesty and trust in their relationship. Without trust, they had nothing.


	4. Ducky Knows Best

**Chapter 4 – Ducky Knows Best**

Jimmy tried to concentrate on his work as his stomach did flip-flops. Ducky glanced worriedly at him. "Are you alright, Jimmy? You look a little bit off. Have you checked your blood glucose today, lad?"

Jimmy looked up. Of course he had checked his blood glucose. He had to after such rigorous activity. He usually kept a tetra box of orange juice in his locker, in case he felt his blood sugar beginning to bottom out. Usually, however, his insulin pen kept his diabetes on a nice even keel.

"Oh, of course Sir. I checked it earlier. It's fine." Jimmy smiled weakly at the concerned old doctor.

"Well, you don't look well Jimmy. Perhaps you should sit down for a short while." Ducky's concern was simply not to be settled. Sometimes, he thought, his young assistant worked a little too hard at his job. Oh, he was grateful to have the strapping lad so close at hand – he wasn't getting any younger after all, and his hip of late had been giving him trouble. But still… he knew sometimes it was easy to lose track of one's own immediate medical needs, in the heat of such a rigorous workout.

They both looked up as they heard the doors swoosh open. Michelle Lee smiled sweetly at the two men as she entered, legal papers in her hands.

"Good afternoon Doctor," she said, smiling as she handed the papers to Ducky.

"Ah, Michelle, what brings you to our midst this afternoon?" Ducky smiled briefly at her before turning his attention to the documents in his hands.

"I just needed you both to sign these before I can file them." She smiled mysteriously at Jimmy, who blushed fiercely.

"Oh yes, of course my dear," Ducky replied, reaching into his smock for a pen. Attempting to apply his signature to the papers, he discovered, to his annoyance, that the pen was dry.

"Damned government issue rubbish," he grumbled softly. He looked up at the two young people. "I'll just be a moment," he said, as he turned to walk out, in search of a functional pen.

Jimmy's eyes grew wide. Being alone with Michelle so soon after Abby had cajoled him into a blind date with a strange woman… he wasn't ready to tell her yet. But, he knew he had to. Honesty and trust were everything to Michelle, and he admitted, pretty damned high on his own list as well. He glanced at the door as it swooshed closed behind his boss.

"Honey," he started nervously, as Michelle began to say, "Jim…"


	5. The Best Policy

**Chapter 5 – The Best Policy**

Jimmy and Michelle paused, both drawing in nervous breath. "I'm sorry hon. You first," Jimmy quickly conceded.

Michelle swallowed. "I think we may have to postpone our plans on Friday night." Michelle glanced down at the floor as Jimmy's brows furrowed in concern.

"Why? Did something come up?" He almost laughed with relief. Of course, it was small consolation – he'd still have to take this other woman out. Even if it was just once, to satisfy Abby.

"Well… yeah. Oh Jim… please don't be mad. I have a date. A blind date," she confessed in a rush of words, flowing out of her mouth in a flood of confession.

Jimmy blinked, suspicion beginning to well up in the back of his mind. "A blind date," he said slowly. "On Friday night."

Michelle raised her head and met his eyes. "Yes. Dinner and a movie. It wasn't my idea, I swear it, but…"

Jimmy didn't normally do such rude things, but he cut her words off at the pass as the realization of what Abby had done struck him fully. "But Abby insisted."

Michelle's almond eyes grew huge. "Yes, Abby insisted. She thinks I'm lonely. How did you know?"

Jimmy smiled carefully. "She thinks I'm lonely too, apparently. That's what I wanted to tell you honey. I was going to go just to placate Abby's need to help, and then never see the woman again." He gazed into her eyes, trying to read her thoughts. "Right after I told you all about it of course," he hastily added.

"And here I thought we were going to miss out on our evening of…" but her words were cut off abruptly as Jimmy looked up sharply, greeting Ducky in his return.

"My, Mr. Palmer. You look much better now. Does Miss Lee have some sort of secret remedy that I don't know about?" Ducky almost winked at the blushing pair of youngsters.

"Let me show you out Agent Lee," Jimmy said politely, wanting to get her the hell out of there before anything else occurred to Dr. Mallard.

"Ah yes, Jimmy – the consummate gentleman I see," Ducky chuckled softly. "I hope you remember to be such a gentleman this coming Friday night."

Jimmy and Michelle stopped in their tracks, turning slowly in unison to greet the sparkling blue eyes of the medical examiner.

"I may be old, and I may be out of practice, but I am certainly not blind. Nor am I a fuddy duddy old fart." Jimmy blinked suddenly. Had his boss just used the word "fart" out loud?

"At least Abigail is paying for your evening. But for heaven's sake, do try to actually _go_ to dinner and a movie. You know she will be expecting a full report of the evening's activities from the both of you. Of course," Ducky chuckled with pure mischief, "I don't recommend that either of you tell her _everything_."


End file.
